NASCAR’s top 10 drivers list for the Most Popular Driver award was criticized by many fans for its selection.
The award already had a bad reputation associated with it as it is presented by Chase Elliott’s sponsor, Hooters. Given that the 2020 champion has won this award for the last four editions, many fans assume that he would win this edition too, unfairly.
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While that remains to be seen, here is already some surprise as to the inclusion of some drivers and the exclusion of some. And one of the major names to not make it to the list is Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 driver Denny Hamlin.
This irked many fans, whether Hamlin fans or not and many called out for this unfair list.
how tf did bell and truex get more votes than hamlin?
— 𝙇𝙪𝙠𝙚 ⚡️ (@LukeMotorstar) November 21, 2022
Hamlin robbery
— Lomi (8-9) (@L0m1no0dIes) November 21, 2022
How is Denny not here?!
— Sir Relkinstein (@sirrelkinstein) November 21, 2022
Bell and Bowman over Hamlin 🤔 you wouldn’t think that based off the tshirts you see at the track
— ˜”*°• MK •°*”˜ (@MK_USA1) November 21, 2022
Joseph and Kyle made it? Thought they were hated
— YouTube Auto Community (@YouTubeAutoCom) November 21, 2022
You expect me to believe that Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, & Kyle Busch are in the Top 10… for Most Popular Driver!?…
😆😆😆
— Ultimate23Dragon (@Ultimat23Dragon) November 21, 2022
Popularity is part of how players are selected for the NFL pro bowl
— Eric98 (@EricD9898) November 21, 2022
it’s almost like that’s part of why they did it
— azeria (@azeriafx) November 21, 2022
Hamlin might not have had the best of the season but he still had two wins and he would have made it to the championship 4 race if Ross Chastain failed to pull off his famous wall-riding move in the last lap of the race.
What made the list even more frustrating for the fans is that Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, and Christopher Bell are in it and not Hamlin. While it can be argued that some deserved to be ahead of Hamlin but that cannot be said for everyone in the list.
What do you think? Should Hamlin have made the cut?